Monday, September 17, 2012 • John Hill
RUGBY - FORGET “Silent Assassin” . . . Poverty Bay’s blindside flanker Sione Ngatu has a new nickname — “Man of Steel” — after playing his 100th game on “one leg” in a 31-13 win against West Coast here at the weekend.
Ngatu pulled a hamstring at training on Wednesday night and was a doubtful starter until shortly before kickoff in the Bay’s must-win Heartland Championship match at Rugby Park.
“He played 80 minutes on one leg,” said Bay coach Grainger Heikell, whose side bounced back from two heavy losses with a bonus-point win.
“It was a lot worse than Sione let on but that’s typical of Sione. He would never let the team down and he was involved in everything.”
But even Ngatu, who paved the way for hooker Henry Yortt to score his first try in a Bay jersey, had to concede man-of-the-match honours to new halfback Adam Ross, who, along with Yortt, play their rugby in Hawke’s Bay.
Ross started after Richard Brown was ruled out with a foot and leg injury, and capped a superb match with two tries in the five tries-to-two victory.
The 23-year-old grew in confidence as the game wore on and was a key man with his accurate, flat passes and sniping darts from the base of the scrum.
Gisborne Boys’ High School first 15 player Toa Halafihi, making his first appearance in the No.7 jersey, did not get on the scoresheet but Heikell was delighted with the 18-year-old’s performance.
“He tackled low, gave us the enthusiasm we expected he would and can be pleased with his first game at this level,” coach Heikell said.
Namibian international David Philander also opened his tryscoring account for the Bay after a 70-metre dash in the 76th minute. The nuggety right-winger is getting better with every game since arriving here three weeks ago and played a major role in Ross’s second try.
West Coast started well, winning the Bay’s kick-off and dominating the early exchanges, including scoring the opening try after five minutes.
Following five good phases involving forwards and backs, second five Sean McClure scored in the corner.
Once the Bay’s forwards started knuckling down to their work, centre Paul Tikomainaivalu, second five-eighth Nick Wilson and fullback Kelvin Smith sent alarm bells ringing every time they touched the ball.
Tikomainaivalu and Ngatu were involved in the first try to Yortt. First five Scott Leighton converted and 7-5 soon became 14-5 after Smith launched a counter-attack, with support from Tikomainaivalu, which finished with lock Jason Tuapawa scoring close to the posts.
The Bay should have put the game beyond West Coast when Wilson and Philander crossed the line in the 30th and 34th minutes only to lose the ball forward.
Two minutes from the break, Ross burrowed his way over the line and the sides headed to the dressing rooms with the Bay up 21-8.
A yellow card for West Coast halfback and vice-captain David Woods six minutes into the second 40 was a huge blow to the visitors’ cause. The Bay capitalised within a minute of Woods’ sinbinning with a try to Ross.
Philander beat two men in a jinking run along the touchline then passed infield to Ross, who angled away from the cover defence to score in the corner.
West Coast closed the gap with a try to hooker Troy Tuawhare in the 61st minute only for Philander to seal the win when he intercepted and raced 70m to score.